Bangkok: A 24-hour war room has been established by the Ministry of Labour to assist Thai workers in the Middle East. Treenuch Thianthong, the Minister of Labour, has directed the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Pol. Lt. Col. Wannapong Kacharak, to implement this initiative. The war room will monitor the situation continuously and coordinate assistance for Thai workers in the region. Additionally, there will be a temporary halt on sending Thai workers to areas deemed at risk of war.

According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Treenuch addressed the tense situation in the Middle East, emphasizing the importance of the war room located on the 5th floor of the Ministry of Labour. This facility will provide support and assistance around the clock, especially if the situation necessitates evacuation. The Minister clarified that evacuation responsibilities lie with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Labour is prepared to cooperate if instructed by the Prime Minister. However, any actions will depend on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' assessment of the risk level.

In terms of dispatching workers, Ms. Treenuch mentioned initial discussions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about postponing the dispatch of Thai workers to high-risk areas. Both ministries have agreed to temporarily suspend the dispatch, with further discussions planned. Ms. Treenuch provided data indicating that there are currently 77,495 Thai workers in the Middle East under the responsibility of three Labour Offices: Tel Aviv, Israel, with 58,921 workers; Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, with 11,227 workers; and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with 7,347 workers.

Pol. Lt. Col. Wannapong Kacharak stated that he plans to hold a video conference with Labour Attach©s in the three countries to assess and monitor the situation. He highlighted the importance of coordination with labour officials in the affected areas to ensure Thai workers can contact embassy staff by telephone and have immediate access to emergency assistance if needed.